You Can't Choose
by In this world live all worlds
Summary: You can't choose who you fall in love with. Cassie doesn't know who he is but she won't let that stop her...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Have you ever seen 'A Beautiful Mind?' Well in my head I'm not a spy but I own Power Rangers; ahh, the Beautiful Dream…

Okay this is a one shot, well at least I think so I might consider making it a proper story but that depends on whether you guys like it. **I was inspired by this amazing You Tube video; everyone should watch it even if they don't like this couple. The song is absolutely beautiful it's called How Can I Not Love You by Joy Enriquez. The video is by Kimiko. **I have used the song lyrics from it in this, the story itself came to me out of no where so I wrote it down, enjoy. xxx

**You Can't Choose**

Cassie watched the stars scroll past the window like something out of a Star Wars movie; she had never dreamed she would end up on a space ship, just like she had never dreamed that she would become a Power Ranger. After a while you learned that sometimes you can't choose…just like you couldn't choose who you fell in love with.

Cassie didn't know his name, hadn't seen his face hadn't touched or kissed him; but she loved him anyway…you couldn't choose.

**Cannot touch  
cannot hold  
cannot be together  
cannot love  
cannot kiss  
cannot have each other…**

She had always joked about the way she would live her life; all too often she had joked with Ashley about how they would forget about men and live together in Paris or somewhere glamorous, alone. Ashley had Andros now, not that Cassie begrudged her, but she didn't want to live alone no matter what she told people. Was it so hard to ask that she spend her life with someone?

**Must be strong  
and we must let go  
cannot say what our hearts must know  
how can I not love you?**

She wouldn't be a power ranger forever, at some point she had to experience the rest of life, that was the rule put in place by Zordon; he had known that you couldn't ask someone to devote their life to being a ranger, the cause yes, but as you got older it would get harder even with the power. Rangers always came back, never quite finished and perhaps that was a choice that they made unconsciously or maybe you could never fully rid yourself of whatever it was that made the power cling to you. Perhaps Zordon had been wrong to believe that a ranger could leave or maybe…

Cassie shook her head; she was starting to sound like Tommy. He had been pretty drunk at the time and feeling sorry for himself but something he had said had stuck and made her wonder…

**what do I tell my heart  
when do I not want you  
here in my arms  
how does one waltz away from all of the memories  
how do I not miss you when you're gone?**

A tap on the door brought her back to the present. Zhane appeared as the door slid open, the silver ranger grinned at her.

"Come on pinkie, if you're not careful Andros will break the synthetron with all the food he's been eating!" There was a snort of derision from behind him and Andros' head appeared next to Zhane's.

"That must be a joke; Ashley says that with the amount of junk you eat you're lucky you don't become a garbage truck!" The two men looked confused by that but laughed anyway.

"Come on Cassie," Andros continued. "Zhane will eat it all if you're not careful and I know you missed lunch already." They both frowned at her in consternation and Cassie blushed; she didn't like them knowing when she ate and when she didn't.

"I'm fine guys, I was busy at lunch but I promise I'll get something later I'm just not that hungry right now."

Andros looked as though he was going to say something else but Zhane turned a confused frown to Andros. "I don't get it." He said scratching his head.

It was Andros' turn to look confused. "Get what?"

"I eat food, not junk; that gets put out in the space chute."

Andros suddenly seemed to comprehend what they were talking about and barely noticed when Zhane began edging them away from the door, understanding that Cassie didn't want to be disturbed and forced to eat.

"What's a garbage truck anyway?"

Andros shook his head as though he despaired that humans from earth would never be understood. "I have no idea."

The door slid shut and left the room in its usual silence. Zhane's appetite was a great joke on the Megaship and although he came across as a joker and sometimes a little ditzy he could be very perceptive, he and Cassie got along well together. Lately Zhane's mischievous side had been calmed by the presence of Karone, with whom he was completely besotted. Cassie sighed and rolled back over to look out of the window; another happy couple and she hated that she couldn't help being a tiny bit jealous.

Besides being a ranger and lack of appetite wasn't her problem…

**Cannot dream  
cannot share  
sweet and tender moments  
cannot feel how we feel  
must pretend it's over  
must be brave and we must go on  
must not say what we've known all along  
how can I not love you?**

No the problem was loneliness; the problem was believing that wishes were as numerous as the stars outside. The problem was loving someone who didn't love you back, someone who said it wasn't possible, and someone you didn't know anything about. The problem was that you loved them anyway. The problem was that you couldn't choose…

**How can I not love you  
must be brave and we must be strong  
cannot say what we've known all along  
how can I not love you  
what do I tell my heart  
when do I not want you here in my arms  
how does one waltz away from all of the memories  
how do I not miss you when you are gone  
how can I not love you...when you are gone**

You could never choose.

**A/N Hope you guys liked, if you think I should continue please say****, by the way the conversation she has with Tommy is in another one of my un-posted stories but it does happen just so you know you're not going mad! Oh, and don't forget to watch the You Tube video! Xxx**


	2. A Lonely Place

**Thanks to you guys who gave me the first four reviews; powersthatcan, Chylea3784, Enigmaforum and Frog1. I decided to continue but be warned this is a sad chapter but I promise it won't be a like that all the time! Thanks again you guys! xxx **

**Chapter 2 – A Lonely Place**

Space was a big and lonely place; years of experience had taught him that. It wasn't as though the universe was empty; there were millions of stars, planets and even people, the abundance of life still surprised him at times. What made it lonely was having to separate yourself from it, having to distance yourself from the people in it and watch them from afar.

**Cannot touch  
cannot hold  
cannot be together  
cannot love  
cannot kiss  
cannot have each other…**

It had been a long time since…no, it was best not to think about how time had passed, best not to wonder what other people could do. He had told himself that he couldn't feel, couldn't love; couldn't have the same happiness as everyone else, he had a job to do. He had wanted to explain that to her but it was impossible; it was something he couldn't tell other people, it wasn't his to tell, but if anyone had deserved an explanation it had been her. _Cassie._

He had tried to forget her but some things stuck with you and he could remember everything about her; he had memorized it when she hadn't known he was looking. Not that you could tell with his helmet on, but there had been times when he could have sworn she had known and even from beneath her visor he could feel her eyes…

**Must be strong  
and we must let go  
cannot say what our hearts must know  
how can I not love you?**

But it was better not to dwell on that. He hit the computer with more force that was than necessary and it gave an alarmed sounding beep, the computer kicked back into life.

"_**Is there something wrong?"**_

He wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or cry. He hadn't given it a name to call him just as he hadn't given it a name, nothing personal, and nothing to connect them. The worst of it was that he hadn't needed one until he had met her. He hadn't needed to hear a voice, hadn't needed anything that had seemed vaguely human because he had been distanced, he was above that. She had changed it all and now it was impossible to live alone, he needed a voice in that deep and lonely darkness.

**what do I tell my heart  
when do I not want you  
here in my arms  
how does one waltz away from all of the memories  
how do I not miss you when you're gone?**

"No, nothing." He replied quietly.

"_**The malfunction has been corrected."**_ It informed him. It hadn't, he could tell that almost immediately; even a computer voice had some sort of personality perhaps not always in the voice but in the things it said. This computer wasn't quite fixed; and the attacks by Dark Specter had certainly caused a lot of damage.

But he had been defeated, even being stuck out in space he had heard the news; Dark Specter had been destroyed and Earth had been saved. It was saddening to think that Zordon was gone; even though it had been necessary he couldn't help but feel that he had failed in some way. The rangers though, that had been surprising; they had been revealed in front of everyone. He shuddered, to be exposed in that way for everyone else to see, so everyone would know who you were and what you looked like, so you couldn't hide…

**Cannot dream  
cannot share  
sweet and tender moments  
cannot feel how we feel  
must pretend it's over  
must be brave and we must go on  
must not say what we've known all along  
how can I not love you?**

He hadn't chosen who he was and he hadn't chosen what he did. He adjusted the computer's settings one last time. He couldn't choose how he felt either and that was what hurt the most. He couldn't shut himself off and forget her. He couldn't forget her smile, her laugh, or how gentle she was when she took care of him when he was hurt. In the same way he couldn't choose to forget her asking him who he was, or begging him to stay, he couldn't choose to love her. He hit the computer's button. The voice that emanated was painfully bright and cheerful, it hurt.

"_**Hiya! I think the malfunction has been corrected, and guess what all systems are off line!" **_

**How can I not love you  
must be brave and we must be strong  
cannot say what we've known all along  
how can I not love you  
what do I tell my heart  
when do I not want you here in my arms  
how does one waltz away from all of the memories  
how do I not miss you when you are gone  
how can I not love you...when you are gone**

You couldn't choose when your defences broke down either; you couldn't choose when you cried.

Tears that ran down his face…

You could never choose.

**A/N Wow, reading back this chapter is actually a lot sadder than I intended. Anyways I hope you guys liked it and I hope it didn't depress you so much that you never want to read this story again****. Quick! Go and read something happy! xxx **


End file.
